Pedestal for a loudspeaker

ABSTRACT

A pedestal apparatus for use with a loudspeaker system is disclosed. More particularly, the pedestal apparatus has a first surface which is to provide support for the loudspeaker system and a second surface which is to be supported by an elongated floor surface. By inclining the first surface relative to the second surface, the supported loudspeaker and the acoustic energy radiated therefrom are elevated and inclined upward relative to the second surface and, thus, to the floor surface, thereby resulting in enhancing speaker performance. Moreover, by providing further elevation of the inclined first surface relative to the second surface and by providing each of the surfaces with an acoustic energy absorbing means, further enhancement of speaker performance results.

United States Patent [191 Wiener [451 Oct. 21, 1975 PEDESTAL FOR ALOUDSPEAKER [75] Inventor: Morris I. Wiener, Plandome Manor,

[22] Filed: Oct. 24, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 517,624

[52] US. Cl 248/174; 248/l88.1; D6/l55 [51] Int. Cl. A45D 19/04 [58]Field of Search 179/1 E, 1 GA; 181/151,

l81/154,171,172,198,199, 33 A, 33 GC, lSl/DIG. 1; 248/441, 454-457, 460,174, 176, l81/188.l, 346,127;D6/27, 65,155,156

1,263,846 3/1968 Germany 179/1 E Primary ExaminerRoy D. FrazierAssistant Examiner-Lawrence J. Staab Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Charles E.Baxley, Esq

[57] ABSTRACT A pedestal apparatus for use with a loudspeaker system isdisclosed. More particularly, the pedestal apparatus has a first surfacewhich is to provide support for the loudspeaker system and a secondsurface which is to be supported by an elongated floor surface. Byinclining the first surface relative to the second surface, thesupported loudspeaker and the acoustic energy radiated therefrom areelevated and inclined upward relative to the second surface and, thus,to the floor surface, thereby resulting in enhancing speakerperformance. Moreover, by providing further elevation of the inclinedfirst surface relative to the second surface and by providing each ofthe surfaces with an acoustic energy absorbing means, furtherenhancement of speaker performance results.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures PEDESTAL FOR A LOUDSPEAKER BACKGROUND OFINVENTION This invention pertains to loudspeaker systems and, inparticular, to pedestal apparatus which can be employed to enhance theperformance of such loudspeaker systems.

When using a present day loudspeaker system, it is often necessary, dueto the weight and size of the speaker system, to support the system on astrong elongated supporting surface. In such situations, the supportingsurface most readily available and most often used is the floor surfaceof the room or area in which the speaker system is being employed.However, while the use of a floor as a supporting surface for aloudspeaker system might be advantageous in that it provides the neededdegree of physical support for the speaker, it is disadvantageous inthat it gives rise to a variety of acoustic disturbances, such asacoustic coupling and acoustic resonances and reflections, which tend todetract from speaker performance.

It is, therefore, a broad object of the present invention to provide anapparatus which can be employed with a loudspeaker system so as toenable the system to make use of the physical support provided by afloor surface, while not subjecting the speaker system to theabove-mentioned acoustic disturbances.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the principles of thepresent invention, the above and other objectives are realized by aparticularly configured pedestal apparatus having a first surface whichis to provide support to a loudspeaker system and a second surface whichis to be supported by an elongated floor surface. More particularly, theaforesaid first surface is inclined relative to the aforesaid secondsurface so as to elevate and incline upward the supported speaker andthe acoustic energy radiated therefrom relative to such second surfaceand, thus, relative to the supporting floor surface. Since the aforesaidupward incline and elevation of the radiated energy of the speaker actsto prevent the energy from being reflected from the fioor surface andbetween surfaces normal to the floor surface, enhancement of speakerperformance results. Moreover, by controlling the degree of incline ofthe first surface, the aforesaid acoustic reflections are prevented and,hence, the resultant enhancement of speaker performance is realized, ina manner which preserves the desirable radiating characteristics of thespeaker.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the first and secondsurfaces of the pedestal apparatus are each provided with an acousticenergy absorbing means. Such means act to acoustically isolate thespeaker from the floor surface, thereby reducing the likelihood ofacoustic feedback and further enhancing speaker performance. Additionalenhancement is also realized, in accord with still another aspect of theinvention, by elevating the inclined first surface above the secondsurface so that the lowest portion of such first surface is spaced abovethe second surface.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed herein, thepedestal apparatus comprises a top portion or member having a topsurface which forms the above-described first surface and a bottomportion or member having a bottom surface which forms theabove-described second surface. More specifically, the

top and bottom members are supported in fixed relationship by a supportmeans which is so configured as to provide the aforementioned inclineand spacing of the first surface relative to the second surface. Theaforesaid support means, in turn, comprises first and and second supportmembers. The first support member supportively connects the rearwardportion of the top member, which portion is located at the lowest partof the incline, to a corresponding rearward portion of the bottommember. The second support member, on the other hand, supportivelyconnects corresponding interior portions of said top and bottom membersthrough a dimension which follows the incline of the first surface.

Additionally, in a modification of the aforesaid embodiment, acousticenergy absorbing means comprising strips or pads of complient materialare provided on each of the first and second surfaces. These strips aresuitably affixed to their respective surfaces in particularconfigurations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The above-mentioned and other objects,features and advantages of the present invention will become apparentupon reading the following detailed description, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 shows, in perspective view, a pedestal apparatus in accordancewith the principles of the present invention which is being used tosupport a loudspeaker system on a floor surface;

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the pedestal apparatus and speakersystem of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate, respectively, top and bottom surfaces of thepedestal apparatus of FIG..1 which have been modified to includeacoustic energy absorbing means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In FIG. 1, a pedestal apparatus 11 in accordancewith the principles of the present invention is shown. Pedestalapparatus 11 comprises a first surface 12 which provides support forloudspeaker system 13 and a second surface 14 which is to be supportedby an elongated floor surface 15. More particularly, as shown, surfaces12 and 14 are rectangular, substantially flat surfaces which are formedfrom the respective top and bottom surfaces of rectangular top andbottom members 16 and 17, respectively. The latter two members, in turn,are supported in a particular fixed relationship relative to one anotherby respective first and second support members 18 and 19. Support member18 extends along the rearward portions 21 and 22 of the members 16 and17 and provides connective support therebetween. Support member 19, onthe other hand, extends from slightly behind the respective frontalportions 23 and 24 of the aforesaid two members to the support member 18to which it is connected. In extending therebetween, member 19connectively supports corresponding interior regions of the top andbottom members through its height dimension h.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention and, as canbe seen more clearly in the side view in FIG. 2, the surface 12 ofpedestal 11 is inclined upward relative to the surface 14 thereof.Additionally, the surface 12 is spaced above the surface 14 so that thelowest portion of the former surface is spaced above the latter surfaceby an amount d. With the sur face 12 so arranged relative to surface 14and, thus, relative to floor surface 15, two results are produced whichoperate to enhance the performance of supported speaker 13.

In particular, the acoustic energy 31 being radiated from the front end25 of speaker 13 is now elevated above floor surface 15. As a result,the radiated energy is prevented from being reflected from the lattersurface. Disturbances caused by such energy reflection are thussignificantly reduced, thereby resulting in enhanced speakerperformance. Moreover, the radiated acoustic energy 31 is now alsoinclined upward from floor surface 15. The radiated energy is thusprevented from hitting wall surfaces normal to the floor surface head onand, as a result, it is not reflected back and forth between suchsurfaces. Disturbing resonances or standing waves which result from suchback and forth reflection of the radiated energy are, therefore, alsosignificantly reduced, thereby further enhancing speaker performance.

While the inclining upward of the surface 12 of pedestal 1 1 thusenhances the performance of speaker system 13, by controlling the degreeor amount of incline of the surface, such enhancement can beadditionally realized in a manner which preserves the desirableradiating characteristics of the speaker. In any particular case, thedegree of incline selected will, of course, depend on the particularradiating characteristic of the loudspeaker being supported. In the caseof a direct radiating loudspeaker, such as Rectilinear 5 loudspeakersystem, a incline has been found to be acceptable.

It should also be pointed out that the dimension d defining the degreeto which the inclined surface 12 is spaced above the surface 14 is afunction, in part, of the particular degree of incline selected forsurface 12. Thus, for example, in situations where the degree of inclineis itself found to be sufficient to elevate speaker 13 above floorsurface 15 such that reflection of the radiated energy 31 from thelatter surface is significantly reduced, the dimension d can be quitesmall. In the latter situations, therefore, if desired, the supportmember 18 can be eliminated and the member 16 supported directly on themember 17. In any case, in any given situation, the dimension d can bereadily determined by raising the inclined surface 12 until the desireddegree of acoustic reflection reduction is achieved.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the above-described upward incline andspacing apart of the surface 12 relative to the surface 14 is realizedby forming the support member 19 so that its height dimension h linearlyincreases in going from the rear to front portions of the member 16.More particularly, by causing the dimenstion h to be equal to thespacing d at the rear portion of the member 16 and by further causingthe linear increase in the dimension h to follow the desired degree ofincline, the proper orientation for surface 12 results.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, the first and second surfaces, respectively, ofpedestal 11 have been modified, in accordance with another aspect of theinvention, to comprise acoustic energy absorbing means. Such means actto acoustically isolate the loudspeaker supported on pedestal 1 1 fromthe floor surface 15, thereby lessening the likelihood of acousticfeedback and further enhancing speaker performance.

More particularly, as shown in FIG. 3, affixed to first surface 12 is afirst plurality of complient rectangular strips or pads 31-1 to 31-4which, advantageously, are arranged to form a rectangular configurationwhich is located on the surface 12 in the region providing support tothe speaker 13. In FIG. 4, a second plurality of rectangular complientstrips or pads 41-1 to 41-3 are shown affixed to surface 14. Thesestrips are arranged in parallel relation from front to rear of thesurface and are, advantageously, located in the region of the surfacewhich is to be supported by floor surface 15. Typically, each of theafore-mentioned complient strips might have a thickness of one fourthinch and might be comprised of materials, such as form or rubber.

In all cases it is understood that the above-described arrangements aremerely illustrative of some of the many possible specific embodimentswhich represent applications of the present invention. Numerous andvaried other arrangements can be readily devised without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A pedestal apparatus for supporting a loudspeaker in relationship toa floor surface, said pedestal apparatus having a first surface forproviding support to said loudspeaker and a second surface which is tobe supported by said floor surface, said first surface being inclined tosaid second surface, a top member forming said first surface, a bottommember forming said second surface, supporting means for supporting saidtop member relative to said bottom member, said top member having afrontal portion located at the upper part of said inclined first furfaceand a rearward portion located at the lower part of said inclined firstsurface, said bottom member having frontal and rearward portionscorresponding respectively to the frontal and rearward portions of saidtop member, said support means comprising a first support member whichruns from said rearward portions of said top and bottom members to thefrontal portions of said members and connectively supports interiorregions of said members therebetween through a dimension that increasesin going from said rearward portions to said frontal portions, saiddimension of said first support member increasing in a manner whichfollows said inclined first surface, said support means furtherincluding a second support member which runs along and connectivelysupports said rearward portions of said top and bottom members, a firstacoustic energy absorbing means affixed to said first surface, a secondacoustic energy absorbing means affixed to said second surface, saidfirst acoustic energy absorbing means affixed to said first surface in aregion thereof providing support for said speaker, said second acousticenergy absorbing means affixed to said second surface in a regionthereof to be supported by said floor surface, each of said acousticabsorbing means comprising a plurality of strips of complient material.

1. A pedestal apparatus for supporting a loudspeaker in relationship to a floor surface, said pedestal apparatus having a first surface for providing support to said loudspeaker and a second surface which is to be supported by said floor surface, said first surface being inclined to said second surface, a top member forming said first surface, a bottom member forming said second surface, supporting means for supporting said top member relative to said bottom member, said top member having a frontal portion located at the upper part of said inclined first furface and a rearward portion located at the lower part of said inclined first surface, said bottom member having frontal and rearward portions corresponding respectively to the frontal and rearward portions of said top member, said support means comprising a first support member which runs from said rearward portions of said top and bottom members to the frontal portions of said members and connectively supports interior regions of said members therebetween through a dimension that increases in going from said rearward portions to said frontal portions, said dimension of said first support member increasing in a manner which follows said inclined first surface, said support means further including a second support member which runs along and connectively supports said rearward portions of said top and bottom members, a first acoustic energy absorbing means affixed to said first surface, a second acoustic energy absorbing means affixed to said second surface, said first acoustic energy absorbing means affixed to said first surface in a region thereof providing support for said speaker, said second acoustic energy absorbing means affixed to said second surface in a region thereof to be supported by said floor surface, each of said acoustic absorbing means comprising a plurality of strips of complient material. 